I've talked about Topps Total a few times over the years and it always leads back to the same question. Would it work now? The set featured the huge base sit, a parallel of the base (the card pictured is the silver parallel inserted 1 a pack), 2 inserts and a small auto/game used selection. I like to think with a little tweaking you could have a market for Total again. The unfortunate thing is that I think Topps would fall into the same traps it does with every set. Too many Sp's, photo variations and mega hits would dominate it. Heritage is dubbed a set collectors set, but it costs a small fortune if you try and get SPs. Something with the budget collector in mind would seem like a nice option.
Either way it is fun set to go back to every once in a while. Long live Total!
Thanks for reading.
"it costs a small fortune" applies to most Topps products these days. I'd like to see flagship revert back to a smaller overall set with less crap filler, fewer (but higher quality) inserts, and fewer hits so it goes back to a price point that isn't ridiculous, then Total could be the low-end set-collector's product that has everybody in it. And dump those one-per-pack parallels, those sucked!
ReplyDeleteInserts are definitely an afterthought in todays collecting world. We make a big deal in our community when one comes out that is universally liked. That may happen 3 times a year.
DeleteI miss Topps Total, too. I am a low end collector and a set builder and it was right up my alley.
ReplyDeleteI think you can make a few tweaks to make everyone happy. You can leave the huge base set alone, but maybe make the parallel set harder to put together.
DeleteCheap + Loads of base cards = my kind of product. These kind of products give collectors a chance at those one hit wonders...
ReplyDeleteThis set could serve a lot of purposes. I'm sure TTM guys would love this set coming back.
DeleteI would love for this set to make a comeback.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone is craving a nice low end set. Opening Day has been really bad lately. Bunt was a nice addition, but I still feel Total could work as well.
DeleteI opened a box of Bunt. It wasn't bad, but the set is really small as I was able to get a whole set and some extras just from the box alone.
DeleteThat use to happen in Topps Update a good bit too. I don't buy many boxes anymore so I'm not sure if that still happens in current versions.
DeleteI agree with Dennis. Few, but higher quality inserts and less hits. Most of the hits end up selling for cheap anyways.
ReplyDeleteAgreed! I'm fine with a few high end chase autos, but its all about the set when you have 900+ people in it.
DeleteThe Total concept was a great one. It appeared in the NBA for two years but it didn't include everyone in the NBA. The NBA is 450 people but it only was 440 cards, and each team got at least two coach cards and most of the mascots were also included. It could have been so much more than it was...but it was still great. I completed the 2004-05 set last year. It's the only sets ever to include assistant coaches, which I actually like as around 90% of them were retired players, and the rest gave me more people to add to my collection.
ReplyDeleteYou might as well do everyone for the NBA version. Maybe even bigger with D League guys!
DeleteI never bought packs of this stuff (b/c I was out of the hobby)... but the idea of back up catchers and middle relievers + no parallels sounds amazing to me.
ReplyDeleteI think they would have to do a parallel set to help keep a bigger group of people interested. My hope is that they would not short print cards within the base set.
DeleteI feel like Total could replace Gypsy Queen and no one would mind.
ReplyDeleteHow about just getting rid of one of those super premium sets that only last a year anyway.
DeleteI loved the Total sets as an autograph collector because that was the only cards you could find of the backup catchers and middle relievers. I could have done without the prospects cards that were in the sets since all of those guys were in Bowman.
ReplyDeleteI bet Total was just about perfect for you.
Deletei was about 100 cards short of the first Total set then fell out of the hobby for years. I was a set builder back then and thought it was a perfect fit. Simple, no frills - kinda like me. SPs and parallels, autos and relics are sadly, ruining the hobby. I remember when most collectors craved these cards, even ten years ago. It's become too much.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy autos and relics, but also feel that every set doesn't need multiple chase cards. Look at what Heritage is starting to become. It was once a set that set collectors would go after, but many are dropping out because of the price point and the fact that everything is getting sp'd to death.
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